Coal-digger.



H. S. WEBSTER.

COAL BIGGER.

APPLICATION FILED 1M. :2. 191a.

Patented Oct. 9, 1918.

3 SHEiTS-SHEET 511: 0c 11 to: .1151 BZsZeg H. S. WEBSTER,

COAL BIGGER.

umcmou FILED 1AN.I2. 19w.

Patented Oct. 29, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- wi/bnemea H. S. WEBSTER.

COAL BIGGER.

APPLiCATsON FILED IAN. I2, I918.

1,283,383. Patented 0%.29, 1918. 3 SHEETS-SHIN 3. fifL'y.-j.

HARLAN S. WEBSTER, OF CANTON, OHIO.

COAL-BIGGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 29, 1918.

Application filed January 12, 1918. Serial No. 211,595.

To attwkom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARLAN S. IVEBs'rER a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio. have invented new and useful Improvements in (foal-Diggers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in machines for minin coal and the )rincipal object of the invention is to provi e means for cutting the coal from the vein and to convey the same to the rear of the machine.

Another object of the invention is to pro-- vide means for operating the cutting and conveying mechanisms and at the same time to move the machine to keep the cutting mechanism against the vein.

The invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed outv in the appended claim.

In describing my invention in detail, refcrence will he had to the accompanying dra wings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in Which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the complete nnichinc.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section.

Fig. 4 is a plan view with parts omitted.

. Fig. 5 is a rear view.

Figs. 6 and 7 are details of the chains and buckets.

In these views 1 indicates the bed plate of the machine which I preferably support on a caterpillar tractor mechanism indicated genorally at 2. As this mechanism may be of any desired type I will not describe it in detail. This bed plate supports the motor I which may be of any desired type and power from this motor is transmittpd'to the caterpillar mechanism by means of the worm 4 on the shaft 6 of the motor engaging with the gear 5 carried by a shaft 6 to which is connected at suitable form of transmission device generally indicated at 7. This device is connected with the drive wheels 9 of the caterpillar arrangement by the gears 10, said whorls being located on shaft. 8. livgthis means the machine may be driven forwardly at ditfercnt speeds or it may be reversed. A shaft 11 supported in the bearings 12 is driven from the motor by means of the gear 13 on the shaft 11 meshing with the worm 4. The shaft 11 is supplied with toothed wheels 14, one at each end thereof. The bed plate 1 at its forward end has anupwardly extending enlargement 1 to which is bolted a pair of supporting plates 15. As shown these plates extend forwardly beyond the. bed plate and carry the cutter head 16 thereon. As shown this cut= ter head comprises a frame of slightly tapered formation and having its up er end wider than its lower end and said rame is supported in an inclined position on the plates with its lower end advanced. The upper and lower ends of the cutter head are provided with slots 17 communicating with grooved recesses li', which together with the said lots form circular recesses to receive the toothed wheels 18 which are mounted on the shafts 19 carried a l each end of the cutter head in suitable bearings therein. Each end of the cutter head 'is curved to conform to the circumference of the toothed wheels so as to entirely inclose said wheels and each end of said head is removablysecured in place on the headbv the bolts 16' so that by removing these ends the toothed wheels with their shafts may be removed from the head. The outermost sets of wheels are connected with the toothed wheels 14 on the shaft 11 by means of the chains 20 which pass from thewhecls ltovec the wheels at the. upper end of the cutter head then downwardly to the wheels at the lower end and then pass upwardly at. an angle to the wheels 14. thus the toothed wheels of-thc cutter head are driven from the motor. Chains 21 are carried by the other wheels of the cutter head and these chains simply pass over the said wheels and along each side of the cutter head. All the chains have secured thereto the cutting means 22 which as shown in Figs. 4; and 7 consist of a solid link 23 forming part of the chain'and having a bucket 25 formed thereon, said bucket having a cut ting edge 24 thereon. As shown in Fig. 7 tlubucket is considerably wider than the chain so that the front side of the cutter head is entirely covered by these buckets as said buckets have their edges in close prox ilnity to the edges of the buckets on the same clillll] and to those on adjacent ch-aini. lhe cutter head is provided with parallel vertical grooves 26 in each side to receive these chains. On each side of the machine and extending from the front, to the rear thereof are suitable conveyers 27 which receive the material from the hopper 28 located back of the cutter head, said conveyers hein r suitablydriven from the motor. The sha t 11 is provided with suitable clutch means whereby the same may be thrown out of action so that the motor may be used to operate the tractor mechanism without operating the cutting teeth.

When the machine has been moved into proper position by means of the caterpillar tractor the tractor may be stopped and the motor switched on to the cutting mechanism so that the chains will be caused to travel over the toothed wheels. It will be seen that the buckets will move from the bottom of the head upwardly along the front side of the head and over the toothed Wheels at the top of the head; thus the buckets cominr into contact with the coal in the vein Wlll out the same therefrom and the coal will drop into the buckets and will thus be carried upwardly over the (utter head and will be do posited in the hopper. This hopper will pass the coal to the side conveyors which will carry it to the rear where itmay be deposited in the cars or the like. By means of the transmission mechanism the machine may be travel forward so as to keep the cutters against the vein of coal. It will be seen that the cutters come into cutting position at the bottom of the device and at a point which is in the same horizontal plane as the of the machine bottom ofthe tractor and owing to the 'fact that said cutters extend entirely across the front of the-cutter head a clear track will be made upon which the tractor mechanism may travel and all loose coal will be caught by the buckets and carried to the conveyers.

It is thought, from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to be understood that I Ina) make slight changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall Within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is z- A machine of the class described compris ing a supporting frame, tractor means carried thereby, a motor on the frame, transmission means connecting the motor with the tractor means, an inclined cutter head carried by the frame and having its lower end extending downwardly to a point. in the same horizontal plane as the tractor means, said head having circular recesses in each end thereof and grooves in, its sides coin municating with recesses, toothed wheels located in said recesses, endless chains passing around said Wheels and enaging said grooves, cutting teeth carried y said chains and having pockets formed thereon. a driving shaft driven by the motor, and toothed wheels thereon over Which some of the chains pass.

In testimony whereof Iafiix my signature.

HARLAN s. WEBSTER. 

